Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best bullet for 16" AR used for 200yd deer

Looking for ideas. I want to create a nice 200yd deer load.

Not sure if it is the best, but I am using 55 grain Sierra game king hollow points in my stock AR. It is a dpms. It shoots 3/4" at 100 yds. My son has shot a couple of deer with it using the AR, and we have killed probably 3dozen or so with that bullet in our 222. They are accurate, and have very good on game performance from 25 yds to 200 yds.

I've had good luck with a 55 gr soft point on antelope and whitetails. Nosler partition is also proven. I've thought about looking at the 60gr nbt but hasn't gone further than that.

I’d use either the 65 gr Sierra GK or the 64 gr Nosler Bonded Solid Base. And the Nosler Partition might be the best choice if you can find the best accuracy load.

I figured you were talking about an AR10. RZ.

The ones I have seen best results from were the 60 Gr. Nosler Partition, the 64 grain Nosler bonded and the Barnes 62 and 70 grain TSX. Of these 4 the 60 grain Partitions seem to kill fastest.

Seen used.......not used myself.

But I would use any of them for deer with full confidence from a 16" AR15

Keeping in mind the 5.56/223 is not a hard long range hitter, so I would limit all shots to 300 and closer. So 1/2 MOA accuracy is not needed at all. If your load will hit a 50 cent piece every time at 100 meters you have all the accuracy you'll need for a 300 yard deer rifle.
I have 2 ARs and one shoots the 60 grain Partition into about 1.4 Inches with a peep sight (no scope) and the other can keep them slightly sub-MOA. About 15/16"
I loaded that ammo for deer and antelope, but so far I have not hunted with either rifle. I just think it's a good idea to have some "deer ammo" in case I want to hunt them with one in the future.

The 64 grain Win PP has worked well for me for allot of years. Both my AR's have 20" barrels but I don't think that would make a bit of difference in on game performance.

55 grain Sierra Gameking, 60 grain Nosler Partition.

Have used both in 22-250, work about like anything you would use in a .243/6mm. Prefer the Partiton for bone busting.

55 grain Gameking BTSP is deadly in 223, 22-250 & 220 Swift.

The 55gr, 62gr and 64gr soft points have killed 100
plus deer and hogs for me the last few years. I think I like the 55gr best though... they all work. Even FMJ's

62 Barnes or a 62 Bear Claw

For consistent, reliable kills out to 200 yards with an AR15, I would start with a 123gr cup and core in the 6.5 Grendel caliber. 200 hundred yards and a 16" barrel 5.56 is getting a little thin for reliable deer hunting. There are so many better choices, why limit yourself?

Because that is what he asked about... all the calibers will work if you put it where it needs to be.

For a .223 at 200 yards just about any bullet will work, just shoot the deer in the front half.

He asked 16” AR. Never mentioned caliber.

All of the above. But what will probably kill the fastest at that distance is a 77gr Sierra TMK. In my experience even the bonded lead bullets will stop in the opposite ribs by about 200 yards and also are making a pretty small hole. But the deer will die regardless.

I should've noted that my AR is a 16" 223/556.

I loaded up some Winchester 64gr Power Points (2750fps) but gave them to my son-in-law (I didn't get to hunt last year). I also worked on a load using the 77gr TMK (2640fps), but I haven't had much range time, and I'm limited by component shortages.

I have just enough IMR8208xbr to probably tune a 77gr TMK load. But I'm a little bit worried about the somewhat low terminal velocity (2250fps @200yds) and whether or not the bullet will fragment enough for a quick kill. I've no on game experience with that bullet.

i've killed now a fair number of critters with a 77gr tmk

2" less of barrel isnt going to change much for performance.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...223-75-grain-eld-m-for-deer#Post13784426


The above thread also links to another thread on Rokslide that is specifically dedicated to the performance of the sierra 77 TMK which seems to be a great performer. I will try it sometime when availability comes back but in the mean time am using the barnes 63 gr tsx. It has worked well for me so far.

I’m sold on the 77TMK, it’s a devastating bullet. That said I’ve killed 5 pigs in the last week with 55gr Speer SP, 55gr Ballistic Tips, and the 75 BTHP Hornady, none of them survived.

The Sierra 65 gr Game King loaded with AA2520or Cfe223, Shooters World Match, or my favorite H4895. Perfect and won't cost ya much.

double: do you shoulder shoot them with the 65GK or aim for the lungs/ribs If shoulders, how is the penetration? thanks

I Try not to, don't think anybody would try that shot with a 223,high shoulder maybe. I took 2 big bucks with this bullet and lots of smaller ones, on the big ones one was a pass through
other one come to rest on the hide on the other side from high shoulder. On a broadside ribcage shot you will find just an exit hole.
On a heart shot usually a pass through unless it hit the brisket bone from a high angled shot from a treestand, still gonna dump him.
They are not a partition, but they ain't bad. Nickel sized groups help build the confidence too. lol.

Not a 65 but a 55 Gameking will usually break at least 1 shoulder.

I've always wondered how the 55gr GK's would work on deer sized game. Sierra seems to build a pretty good cup & core bullet, the jackets are thicker than their regular bullets and tapered thicker towards the bottom on GK's which seems to work without paying .80 cents a piece for em.

Forget the AR, used the real item in Nam. Got its place, but not hunting.

A dumb anti gun Biden voter giving firearms advice? lmao

55 or 62TTSX

I’ve shot many pigs with a 62 TTSX. It will break both shoulders and keep going on 150 to 200 lb hogs. I’ve never shot a deer with one. I like at least a 243 for deer hunting.

Yeah those FMJ's from the 60's are optimal for medium sized game!

Not.


Things may have changed a bit since you blinked...

60 gr Nosler Partition

Personally I have only used the 65 Sierra and 64 Nosler, both did the job with one shot. Ranges have varied from 60 to 150 yds. 24" barrel and max load of CFE223. Would be happy to continue with either.

I have never seen a deer shot with one but I have seen a 200 pound boar shot with one and that is the 62 gr Fusion. 1 Shot kill on the boar with 18 inches of penetration with 46 grs of weight retention. Excellent expansion and mushroom! Magazine quality recovered bullet from pig. The down side with the pig was not much of a blood trail.

Yep. I concur with Hanco. I’ve killed a ton of hogs and a bunch of deer with it at those ranges. Great hunting bullet for .223 / 556

My second choice would be the 60 gr Nosler Partition.

Sure as heck sounds like it.

Seems like DD said he killed some big game in Vietnam with either the M-4 or M-16 too, IIRC. And some gooks too.

Another vote for the 65 grain SGK if your barrel is twisted fast enough. 55 grain SGK if not.

I know the 62gr TTSX and 50gr GMX work, I'm curious about the Federal Mk318 mod 1 barrier blind bullet.
I bought a bunch from Midway a year ago and may get a chance to test drive them on the deer here on the farm.

77gr tmk come loaded pretty hot from black hills

they kill mule deer in sage brush country very nicely.

A 60 grain Partition or 64 grain Bonded. Both expand violently, penetrate well and damage a crap ton of tissue.

A 62 grain Bear Claw would be a great choice. They kill pigs really well.

Form was a fan of those. Got a box but haven’t had time to work up a load. Need to remedy that soon.

25 to 26 grains of H 322, and a 55 gr SP, Hornady, Speer or Sierra, gives fast velocity even in a short barrel....

The other two bullets I'd use with the same powder or with AR Comp, is a 63 grain SMP Sierra or a 70 gr SMP Speer....

Old School, but they sure hang a job on whatever they hit, even deer sized game....put em in the right spot, its normally DRT for me..
been working just like that for many many decades, for me and other hunters...

Seafire: your talking rib/lung shots for those 55gr (varmint) bullets, correct? Would you be comfortable with high shoulder shots or quartering shots? thanks

200 gr .358 bullet! Be Well, RZ.

Definitely not speaking for Seafire, and I've never used the Speer or Sierra so can't comment there, but I'd be comfortable with the 55 Hornady SP from pretty much any angle, and definitely ok with shoulder shots.

Tatelaw: Thanks for the report! Curious: any expereince with the 55 Hornadys on varmints, pdogs, 'yotes, etc?

I’ve killed about 70 pigs, a deer or two, lots of coyotes, and 2 cow elk with them. Shoot them in the front half and get out your knife.

OK, I'm not trying to pick a fight. And certainly not questioning anyone's experience. Just having a hard time reconciling what Hornady says on it website with your experience.

Hornady lists several 55gr 22 cal. bullets. Only one is touted as a big game bullet. Most are listed as "Varmint" and said to provide "Explosive expansion, even at low velocities" . Again, I'm not questioning you folks with experience. Just surprised that bullets designed for "explosive expansion" with no consideration of "controlled expansion" or penetration, could perform so well on shoulder or quartering shots on big game.

I just decided to try them after seeing the work that Scenarshooter and others on here had done with them in the Swift and 22-250. I shoot them out of a 223 or 222 Mag. I don’t care what I have handy I’ll try it on a pig if presented with the opportunity. A couple dozen one shot kills in a row on pigs gave me the confidence to use them for other stuff.

All that said if I had to chose one bullet for big stuff in the 223 it would be the 77TMK.

Not much in the way of varmint hunting here in North MS except for coyotes. I've taken one coyote with the Hornady SP from my Swift. It was a very dead dog. Also took the second largest whitetail buck of my career with that same bullet. Hornady makes a 55gr SX that is supposed to be very explosive. The SP is a tough little bullet.

If all the options I've tried, I'm still enjoying casting Lee 309-170 gas-checked bullets. These run 2150fps out of my 16" barrel Sig716 in 308 winchester, and leave a squeeky clean barrel. The only thing I'd like to hunt with this platform is a south Texas hog, or Javelina. Otherwise it's a dandy patrol rifle